Sales Follow-Up Email: The Ultimate Guide for 2024

You made contact with a client, and they’re interested. Now what? You don’t want to overwhelm them or seem desperate, which could scare them away. But you do want to continue to build the relationship and ideally gain a new loyal fan. 

This is where the sales follow-up email enters your marketing strategy. A perfectly crafted email can hook your potential client. It can get them to complete your call to action and start spreading positive word-of-mouth about your business. 

To master this craft, you’ll need everything from professional email subject line examples to perfect timing. Fortunately, you’re not alone. Here, you’ll find everything you need to start sending out eye-catching follow-up emails. 

Importance of Sales Follow-Up Emails 

You must follow up since these are cold emails! This is because 60% of potential customers say no four times before saying yes.

People are busy, and we’re only getting busier. So, you can either contribute to the onslaught of junk mail that people get, or you can introduce value to their inboxes and have them thanking you.

The sales follow-up exists for exactly this purpose. It reminds the customers whose values are aligned with your company’s mission that you’re here to help. 

Sure, many business owners and marketers confuse a lack of reply with a lack of interest when the reality is often quite different. It’s not that your clients don’t care. It’s more likely one, or more, of many reasons: 

• They don’t understand the value of your business yet

• They don’t remember you

• They’re busy!

In any event, you can turn “no response” around with a perfectly timed email with just the right message. 

How to Create Personalized Emails for Different Sales Cycle Stages 

But wait! Unless you think the only time to send a follow-up email is after initial contact, nothing could be further from the truth. You have an opportunity to make contact with your client at every point along the sales funnel. And, you should typically be sending up to three professional follow-up emails at various stages along the way. 

The most important part of any email you send is that it is personal. Yes, of course, you want to include your prospective client’s name, but you also want to address their pain points and your specific solution to their problem. This approach shows empathy and establishes a connection between you and your future customer. 

1. Qualifying a Lead

The qualifying follow-up is essential because it will help you determine which of your leads are warm. At this point, you’ve already sent out a cold email and you’ve gotten some interest. Your email should address that fact.

Example:

Hey Mike!

I saw that you opened my last email and clicked on the links. I’d love to schedule a call with you to discuss any questions you have about how our HR software can streamline your onboarding process.

Let me know a good time to call and we’ll book an appointment. 

All my best, 

Dave

2. Nurturing Your Lead

Once you’ve established a connection with your prospective client, you want to build and nurture a relationship. By now, your client has expressed interest and is moving through the sales pipeline. They’re now likely looking for more information on your products and services. 

You can include links to blogs or YouTube videos. A nurturing email can turn your lead from growing cold to warming up. 

Example:

Good morning Sharon, 

Thank you so much for speaking with me earlier this week. 

Because you asked for more specifics on how our project management tools work, I’ve included an explanatory video that provides more detail here: [video link]

I’ve also linked this blog post with case studies that show the positive outcomes our existing clients are experiencing. 

• [Links]

I’d love to discuss your thoughts after you’ve had a chance to check out these links. 

Are you free next week for a quick call? 

Have a great weekend,

Margo

A nurturing email could be a follow-up to a previous email exchange, or it could be a post-call follow-up. You can of course use a template to craft any of these emails. Just make sure you include the proper context in your message. 

3. Providing Clarity

If your client still has not made a purchase, you might need to send a follow-up email that provides clarity. A clarity email can be like the one above to Sharon, a response to specific concerns, or it could be a message that adds unsolicited value. 

Example:

Hey Larry, 

Because I know you’re a numbers guy, I’m sending you a few of our data reports that reflect the revenue increases a few of our clients have had after implementing our tools. 

Let me know what you think once you’ve had a chance to review them. 

I look forward to hearing from you, 

Linda

Notice that in this email you’re not pushing for a call. In this case, you’re likely going to send another email later in the week as a nurturing email, which will prompt the client to get on a call with you. 

4. Closing the Deal

Finally, your client has reached the bottom of the sales funnel, the final stage, and they’re ready to be sold. 

The key here is to actually close the deal, and close it relatively quickly, before the lead goes cold. 

Keep this one short and sweet. 

Example:

Hi Chloe!

I’m delighted to hear you’re feeling good about adding our paper products to your offices. Let’s jump on a call to tie up any last questions you have and get your supply rooms stocked.

What times work for you in the next couple of days? 

All my best, 

Sylvia 

This message lets your client know there’s no avoiding the final sale at this point. The time has come. 

Note that in each of these emails, you will provide: 

• Context — so your client knows why you’re sending the message

• A pain point — to remind your client of their need

• A solution — so your client knows you can help

• A call to action — so your client knows exactly what action to take next

Timing & Frequency of Sales Follow-Up Emails

Now that you know what types of follow-up emails to send, you need to make sure you send them at the right time and appropriate frequencies. You’re aiming to strike the right balance between bombarding your client (which will either annoy them) and sending far too few emails (which creates space for your competitor to close the deal under your nose). 

You can utilize follow-up software to ensure your emails get sent out automatically or at the very least remind you to send those emails out on time. 

When to send a follow-up email will depend on what the purpose of your follow-up is. If you’ve just made contact, you’ll want to send a qualifying message relatively soon. If you get no response, you can wait a few days or a week and send another follow-up. 

However, if you’ve sent over case studies, testimonials, or links to videos and blogs as a post-call or nurturing email, you’ll want to give the client time to review your materials and reflect on them. 

But not too much time. 

Also, note that most people don’t want to read any extra emails on Mondays or Fridays, so aim for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. Don’t bother your prospects on the weekend.

Common Mistakes Leading to Loss of Interest 

So, what might you be doing that does indeed annoy or scare away your prospects? It happens. No sales person is perfect, and we all get it wrong sometimes. You’ll get better over time by recognizing what mistakes you might be making that are leading to a loss of interest on the part of your client. 

The human brain has been conditioned over time to go toward the messaging that makes them feel good and away from what makes them feel negative. 

Let’s look at some of the language you want to avoid and what words you could use instead.

You can see how just a shift in tone and language can change the entire line of communication and show your clients that you’re here for them, that your company is eager to solve their problems, and that you’re interested in resolving their concerns. 

Other common mistakes that may lead to a loss of interest include: 

• Taking too long to follow up

• Being pushy 

• You’re beating around the bush (don’t bury the lede!)

Remember, just because you’ve lost the interest of a potential client doesn’t mean they’re gone for good. You still have an opportunity to make up for leaving a bad taste in a client’s mouth through a better-crafted email. Just give them time to forget about your slip-up and try again later. 

Best Practices for Crafting an Effective Follow Up

Follow ups can drive much more attention to your product or service thaen if you were to only do one email. That’s why every follow up should: 

1. Get to the point: You don’t want your potential clients guessing. They’re more likely to just hit delete.

2. Include your client’s name: Email subject lines with a name are 14.68% more likely to get opened. 

3. Be value driven: Clearly present to your clients what they’re getting if they choose to move forward. 

4. Engage with a hint of mystery: You can include a bit of intrigue as a hook to lure the client in. 

5. Be pithy: Keep it short and sweet. Your clients are busy. Show them you value their time by keeping it under a few paragraphs. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid for Follow Up 

A bad follow up can get your email ignored and deleted and your email address marked as spam. That’s the death sentence for all future sales from that client. Even worse, they may tell others about your “spammy” emails. 

So, what should you avoid? 

1. Don’t be cryptic: You want to intrigue your clients, not confuse them. 

2. Don’t lie or trick your client: Misleading your prospects will just have them mistrusting you, and that will lose you sales every time. 

3. Don’t be wordy: Again, people are busy! Too many words will have them zoning out and… you guessed it. Hitting delete. 

4. Don’t be “salesy”: Finally, and perhaps most obviously, don’t come in like a sharky salesman promising AMAZING DEALS!!!! Or urging clients to BUY NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!! It’s annoying and it may get your email filtered to spam automatically. 

Obviously, this sounds like a lot to remember, but you’ll get the hang of it all as you go, and before you know it, follow ups will come naturally to you. 

How QuickMail Can Help You With Sales Follow-Up Emails

QuickMail can automate your emails for you and do automated follow ups based on your exact criteria that you can customize. 

You simply write a copy for your follow ups, personalize and tailor it to your clients, adjust your settings in the QuickMail platform, and let the system do the rest.

Using QuickMail will save you time and energy, which ultimately saves you money. Furthermore, streamlining your follow-up email process will help you get more opened emails and more clicks, which means more sales. We’ve even got an auto-warmer solution free for all QuickMail users.

At the end of each campaign, QuickMail will compile the data for you, which helps you understand which emails are working and why as well as which campaigns need to be adjusted before retrying.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to follow up a sales pitch?

A sales pitch is best followed up with a nurturing email that includes links to videos, blogs, or case studies that provide more information for your client. This approach builds trust and grows the relationship. 

How to follow up without being pushy?

First, remind yourself that your products and services add value to your potential client’s life. Then, avoid pushy, desperate language as described above and give your prospect time in between emails to consider. Also: add value! The more value you bring to the table through your emails, the more you’ll be seen as giving rather than always asking. 

How to follow up after a sale?

With gratitude! 

So many business people forget to say “thank you” after their client has given them their hard-earned money. Send an email sincerely thanking the client. Close the email by asking your client to share your information with anyone they think you might be able to help. 

If your client loves your products and services, they’ll be happy to share. 

Ready to Take Your Follow-Up Game to the Next Level?

If you’ve made it this far in the article, you’re likely ready to hand off what can feel like a menial task and focus on the work that needs your full attention — running your business. QuickMail is the solution you’ve been looking for because, while the process is automated, it’s still under your control. 

Sign up for QuickMail now for your free 14-day trial. You can check out all the features, start a follow-up email campaign, and get analysis back, all at no risk. After the trial, you’re sure to find a pricing schedule that works for your business and client needs. 

Sign up today and start landing in your prospects’ main inbox.